Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” took the world by storm when it first came out in April 2024, and it’s easy to see why. The melody is infectious, and the hook is nostalgic for a massive demographic of music listeners. But if you’ll forgive us for waxing philosophical about Shaboozey for a second, there’s more to it than that.
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Not only is the smash hit a compelling argument for the commercial viability of cross-genre music. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is also a wildly more realistic take on a 2004 rap classic, bringing the narrator back down to earth with the listener at a dive bar with pool tables and sticky floors—not an exclusive dance club in the city.
How “Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” Helped Recreate A Classic
Twenty years before Shaboozey would release “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” St. Louis rapper J-Kwon broke into the scene with his April 2004 debut, “Tipsy.” Even if you weren’t listening to rap music around that time, you likely have heard the song at least in passing. With its intense beat and decidedly unserious intro (Teen drinking is very bad, yo, I got a fake ID, though), it became an instant success.
So, it’s unsurprising that when Shaboozey set out to recreate a 2000s classic as his own, he gravitated toward the song that served as the backdrop for Summer 2004. In an interview with Billboard, Shaboozey recalled having the idea to cover a song from the early 2000s for a while when he blurted out, “‘Everybody at the bar getting tipsy.’ Then, we were like, ‘Oh, s***!’ The producer picked up the guitar and started playing the chords, and then we started writing, just having fun and being creative.”
The fun didn’t stop in the writing room, either. Speaking to Rolling Stone in May 2024, Shaboozey cited the track’s gang vocals as a big party starter in the studio. “I think the more energy and the more people you put on a song, the more it’s felt. [The studio] definitely turned into a party by the end of the song, which is a good sign.” But diving deeper past its country sensibilities and high energy, we’d argue that Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” became a success for entirely different reasons, too.
The Benefit Of Reaching More Listeners By Genre, Lyrics, or Both
A quick look through the chart performance of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is all the evidence one needs of the song’s massive universal appeal. The track dominated charts across all genres in the U.S., including Billboard Hot 100, Pop Airplay, Country Airplay, Rhythmic, and Adult Contemporary. It tied with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” for the longest No. 1 single on the Hot 100 of all time.
The success of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is another push in the direction of a world that’s less defined by musical genres than it has been in the past. There have been times in our country’s musical history when country hits barely touched the pop charts and vice versa. But now, in the digital age of rampant musical exposure, listeners’ ears are more well-rounded and interested in hearing multiple styles, subjects, and feelings in their music. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” delivers with its Americana-esque instrumentation and auto-tuned vocals à la hip-hop.
Another element that sets Shaboozey’s hit single apart is its down-to-earth lyricism. Whereas J-Kwon’s “Tipsy” was a fun, youthful ode to partying in the club, Shaboozey offers a grown-up version: having a few rounds at the local dive bar after you get off work. Sure, the song has a sheen of industry-amplified fun, but generally speaking, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is more realistic.
We aren’t teens sneaking into a nightclub anymore. We’re tired, treading through grocery and gas bills, and looking to have some fun before heading home and starting the work week all over.
Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for GQ
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